Safety lock



Nov. l5, 1960 J. J. MIRKIN SAFETY LOCK lFiled April 16, `1958 QN. I,

J. J. MIRKIN 9 SAFETY Loox Nov. 15, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Filed April 16, 1958 INVENTOR. l ./grge L/e /Vf'm BY MM Z249 m NOV l5, 1960 J. J. MIRKIN 2,959,951

' SAFETY LOCK Filed April 16. 1958 l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JorgeJdseMLrkm, BY MM ii/Qi 9s M United States Patent() SAFETY LOCK Jorge J. Mirkin, 110 Street 272, Dept. 402, Lima, Peru Filed Apr. 16, 1958, Ser. No. 729,028

Claims. (Cl. 70-39) This invention relates to a safety lock and it may be used with padlocks, door latches and locks of various kinds and sizes for furniture, luggage and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a lock which may be assembled without the use of rivets, lugs or similar devices and which may be easily and quickly disassembled in order to change the releasing combination.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein a slidable bar or the shackle bar may have a limited longitudinal movement controlled by a key for the locking or unlocking operation but which can not be removed from the casing unless there is provided in addition a rotational movement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simplified and sturdy construction capable of withstanding considerable abuse.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the detailed description, a preferred modification of the invention is shown in the drawings in which: f

Figure 1 is across-sectional view with parts in elevation illustrating the lock in locked position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cover for the lock.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the auxiliary cover.

Figure 4 is a'partial perspective View of the lower portion of the slidable locking bar when disassembled.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the plates, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the resilient element designed to cooperate with the various plates.

In the various views similar reference characters indicate like parts.

vIn Figures 1, 2 and 3 the cover is shown at 1 and the auxiliary cover which encloses the cover 1 is shown at 2. The key 30 for operating the lock is shown in Figure l as withdrawn from the apertures 4 provided in the covers 1 and 2. The key is provided with the extensions 3 and the auxiliary cover 2 is provided with a guiding extension 5 for receiving the key 30 and directing the teeth towards the appropriate openings 4.

Within the cover 1 are provided the plates 6, 7, 8', 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 54. Of these plates the plates 6, 7, 31, 32 and 33 are slidable under the action of the projections 3 of the key 30 while the plate 8 which may be termed the control plate is fixed in position. The plates 34, 35 and 54 are also fixed in position within the cover 1.

Bearing against one of the side walls as shown at the right hand side of Figure l is a resilient plate 36 having a back portion 16 which bears against the cover 1 and resilient ngers 18 which bear against the various plates urging them towards the left.

The structure of plate 8 is shown in Figure 5 and the bottom 37 is provided adjacent one end with a hole 9 and adjacent the other end with a hole 38. A projection 13 extends from the bottom 37 into the hole 38 as shown. The plate is provided with end walls 39 and 40 and with side walls 41 and 42. The side walls 41 and 42 are provided with openings 43 and 44. The other plates 6, 7, and 31 to 35 and 54 inclusive are constructed Patented Nov. 15,' 1960 similar to the plate 8 with the exception that there is no projection such as 13 in the other plates. The holes similar to 38 in the other plates are indicated at 51. The walls 39, 40, 41 and 42 serve as spacing elements spacing the plates from one another.

A shackle bolt or slidable bar 45 extends downwardly through the hole 46 provided in the auxiliary cover 2 and through the hole 47 provided in the cover 1. The slidable bar 45 is provided with projections 11, 12, 48 and 49. The projection 12 is more extended than the other projections thereby forming a guiding member for the bar in cooperation with the plates 8, 7 and 6.

The lower end of the bar 45 is constructed as more particularly shown in Figure 4. This lower end comprises a tubular member 50 in which is positioned the spring 27, the lower end of the spring 27 when assembled as shown in Figure 1 bears against the cover 1. The member 50 is provided with the slots 25 which thereby form the projecting flanges 26. With this construction the flanges 26 can enter the arc shaped slots 19 provided in the cover 1 and the similarly shaped slots 20 provided in the auxiliary cover 2.

In the projections 12, 48 and 49 there are provided arcuate grooves which are designed to accommodate the projection 13 upon the plate 8. Also extending from one of the slots 25 in the tubular element 50 there is provided a groove 14. The groove 14 is parallel to the aligned grooves 15 but is located at an angle with respect to the grooves 15.

Extending through the holes 9 as shown in Figure 1 is a small safety bar 10 having at its lower end a reduced portion -52 which when the lock is assembled extends through the hole 21 in the cover 1 and the hole 22v in the auxiliary cover 2. Coacting with the upper cone shaped end of the safety bar 10 is a rod 28 which can form the'other end of the shackle bolt 45 if the'lock is constructed in the form of a padlock. The end 28 is provided with a cone-shaped recess 19 cooperatingwith the topof the` bar 10 and the rod 28 is also provided with a projection 53. The rod 28 extends through the hole 24 provided in the auxiliary cover 2 and the hol 23 provided in the cover 1.

The assembly and operation of the lock described is as follows: the resilient plate 36 shown in Figure 6, is located within the cover 1 with the Vface 16 thereof beary ing against the interior side of the cover. 'Then the plates are inserted within the cover being spaced from one another by their side and end walls. The plates are piled upon one another with the resilient fingers 18 bearing against one end thereof in the proper combination.

The auxiliary cover 2 is then slipped over the cover 1 and a suitable key 30 with the desired combination of projections 3 is inserted through the holes 4. This will bring an alignment of the holes 51 and 38 so that the bar 45 may be inserted. The projection 13 Will slide first in the groove 14 and at the end thereof the bar 45 is rotated through the angle between the groove 14 and the grooves 15 so that the projection 13 may enter the grooves 15. The bar 45 is then further inserted until the projection 13 strikes the end of the groove 15 in the projection 12 as shown in Figure 1. The flanges 26 enter the arc shaped slots provided for them in the cover 1 and the auxiliary cover 2 while the spring 27 is cornpressed and placed under tension within the tubular portion 50. Upon removal of the key the plates 6, 7, 31, 32 and 33 will lock the projections upon the bar 45 by the action of the resilient fingers 18 moving such plates to the left as shown in Figure l.

Upon withdrawal of the key the bar 45 can not be withdrawn and when the key is introduced so as to unlock the bar 45 the projection 13 under the action of the spring 27 will pass through the aligned grooves 15 until it strikes the upper portion of the tubular element 50.` In such case the bar 45 is unlocked and at the same time, due to the fact that the tubular element 50 is held by the projection 13 the bar 45 can not be withdrawn from the assembly unless the bar 45 is rotated through the requisite angle in order to align the groove 14 with the projection 13. When this is done then the lock may be disassembled by the reverse of the operation set forth above.

When the slidable bar 45 has been assembled in the way described it is impossible to separate the cover and the auxiliary cover except by destroying them. This security is particularly important in the case of external locks. In the case of padlocks there is the additional advantage that they can not be falsely closed.

The effect of locking the cover and the auxiliary cover is complemented by the action of the flanges 26 upon the tubular element 50 when these flanges are introduced into the arc shaped openings 19 and 20. The safety bar fullls the same purpose because when the mechanism is closed it is pressed by the end 19 of the bar 28 and between the holes 21 and 22 at the lower portion of the combined casing.

With regard to the projection 13, this may be made larger and stronger than shown in the drawings but in such case the grooves 14 and 15 would likewise have to be enlarged. The channels or grooves which together constitute the upper channel limit the movement of the rod 45 in normal use, that is for the opening and closing of the lock. When the lock is opened the slidable rod can not be withdrawn until it is located so as to bring the channel 14 in alignment with the projection 13. In such case the key must also be used.

The safety rod 10 does not support the plates and extends through the plates without hindering them in their movement.

The openings 43 and 44 provided in the side walls of the plates decrease the contact surface between the plates which improves and smooths the sliding between them. Furthermore, if during the assembly a mistake has been made it is very easy to use these openings for the points of pliers so as to withdraw a particular plate more easily.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A safety lock comprising a pair of cooperating covers forming a casing, a plurality of plates each with an opening therein located within said casing,vsome of said plates being xed and certain others of said plates being movable, resilient means urging said plates towards one side of said casing, the movable plates having aligned openings therein when positioned by means of a key in a predetermined relation against the action of said resilient means, one of the fixed plates having a projection extending into the opening therein, a slidable bar extending through said openings having a series of projections thereon and a tubular extension at the bottom thereof, said bar having a pair of angularly spaced channels for cooperating with said projection in said opening, one of said channels extending through certain of said series of projections on said bar, the other of said channels being located on said tubular extension parallel to said first channel and a spring located in said tubular extension normally urging said bar away from said projection in said opening.

2. A safety lock as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprises a plate having a series of spring tongues thereon, each tongue cooperating with an individual plate.

3. A safety lock as set forth in claim l wherein said covers are provided with a pair of aligned arc shaped slots and said tubular extension is provided with flanges for entering said are shaped slots.

4. A safety lock as set forth in claim 1 wherein a safety rod extends through said plates and into aligned openings provided in said covers.

5. A safety lock as set forth in claim 1 wherein a guiding extension is secured to said casing for guiding said key.

References Cited in the le of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS 957,705 Nerhaft a May 10, 1910 1,718,606 Soref June 25, 1929 2,036,541 Ringseis Apr. 7, 1936 2,479,199 Bennett et al. Aug. 16, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 432,237 Italy Mar. 15, 1948 824,896 Germany Dec. 13, 1951 

